The Quest for Lissette

A few years ago, Peter and I accompanied out friend John (thank you John; we miss you!) to Belize. We hopped, skipped and jumped our way to Long Caye, Glover’s Reef Atoll; specifically, Off the Wall Dive Center, AKA HEAVEN!!!!!, home of Jim and Kendra Schofield, where we spent the week living in sweet little palapas enjoying rum and fruit-juice drinks, naps and beach-combing between snorkeling and scuba adventures. No, there was no resort in the fake, upscale luxury-vacation mode; Off the Wall is also mostly Off the Grid, refreshingly natural and private, remote and tropical. There is no air strip. It takes two hours by boat to reach the island, and it’s worth every minute riding the waves with captain Junior at the wheel to arrive there. It perches on the lip of the atoll, where you can swim or boat out a few hundred yards, then peer over the edge into what seems to be a bottomless pit of tropical blue water. On the way, you’ll see every amazing tropical fish and sea creature you can imagine if you wait long enough. Check out Kendra’s pictures on their site: http://www.offthewallbelize.com/ to see some of the critters that you can see! While we were there, we were treated to the local cuisine, thanks to Jim and Kendra’s cook, Annette. She was an awesome cook, and each meal featured fresh and wholesome foods she prepared in the little outdoor kitchen onsite. At the table was an ever-present tray of sauces for the less hearty palates among us (Belizeans like it hot!), and on that tray was a bottle of Lissette’s Secret Sauce. The Holy Grail. IT IS SO GOOD! A blend of sweet, tart, hot, and fruit, it has a savory goodness I can only approximate in my own kitchen. I have searched the web for a United States distributor (shipping doubles the price per bottle), and I was thrilled to find an outlet in Vineyard Haven, MA : http://www.gallonjugestate.com/contact.html . Unfortunately, they are simply a hub; the product still ships from Belize! Somebody out there, in the USA!!!! Deal in Lissette’s Secret Sauce! It’s the best! But if your pocket is deep and you want something wonderful, contact the estate of the address above. And go to Off the Wall, and buy some duty free on the way home. Send me a bottle.

It was the best week of my life. Annette's cooking and Lissette's Secret Sauce only made it tastier. And no, I won’t share my approximation of the recipe based upon the ingredients. Buy some for yourself. Create a market. This stuff is GOOD!

By the way, the other taste I developed while in Belize was for One-Barrel Rum. I'll leave it to you to find your own. Good luck!